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A white Christmas for Steamboat could bring tricky driving conditions

Michael Schrantz
Clouds lifted Wednesday to reveal Mount Werner blanketed in fresh snow. Another storm is forecast Monday that could bring difficult driving conditions.
Matt Stensland

— For those planning to enjoy a white Christmas in Steamboat Springs or elsewhere across western Colorado, plan for snow and tricky driving conditions as a couple storms are set to hit the state before Christmas.

“Some of the details are still in question, but overall it certainly does look like there’ll be a storm coming through in several pieces,” said Travis Booth, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.

On Sunday, a weaker piece of the storm should move through the state and could bring a dusting to Steamboat Springs, Booth said.



A stronger piece of the system looks to hit western Colorado on Monday and move through into Christmas morning, according to Booth.

The National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement warning travelers who plan to be on the road those days that poor conditions and snow accumulation are likely.



Monday’s storm might not be as strong for Steamboat as what passed through last week, Booth said, but the details of how much moisture it’s bringing through still are uncertain.

Looking further into next week, there appears to be a system setting up for Thursday coming from the southwest. All the models show the feature, Booth said.

Last week’s storms had a more northwesterly track, as does the Christmas system for Sunday and Monday.

Joel Gratz, of http://www.opensnow.com, also called for a storm system moving through early next week but stopped short of calling for a Christmas powder day.

Heading into this weekend, the weather should warm slightly, with forecast lows for Steamboat staying above 10 degrees. Highs should crest into the 30s Sunday but dip back into the high 20s for Christmas.

To reach Michael Schrantz, call 970-871-4206 or email mschrantz@SteamboatToday.com


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